Adjustment device, particularly for adjusting the length of a skate

ABSTRACT

An adjustment device, particularly for adjusting the length of a skate, which comprises a frame provided with first connection elements to two or more wheels, a shell associated with the frame in order to accommodate at least the heel of the user, and a toe unit slidingly associated with the shell and/or frame in order to accommodate the tip of the user&#39;s foot. The device comprises a slider means that can be actuated by the user, and is substantially transversely associated to the toe unit in contrast with an elastic element and interact selectively with the frame and/or shell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe, particularly to a skate with in-line wheels that allows size adjustment.

[0002] Nowadays it is known to manufacture skates provided with a frame that supports a plurality of in-line wheels and is associated, in an upward region, with a shell of adjustable length, so as to allow the skate to be used by different people or, if the user is still growing, by the same user for a long period of time.

[0003] In this regard, U.S. Ser. No. 10/318,296 discloses a skate provided with a frame for supporting a plurality of in-line wheels, which is associated in an upward region with a heel unit above which a cuff is in turn associated, said cuff wrapping around the lower part of the leg of the user.

[0004] A toe unit is further associated with the front part of the frame and can slide longitudinally so as to allow to vary, by way of the activation of suitable adjustment means, the size of said skate according to the size of the foot of the user.

[0005] The toe unit and the heel unit constitute a shell for containing, together with the cuff, an advantageously soft innerboot.

[0006] Said innerboot, made of non-stretch material, is provided at the toe with a suitable longitudinal elongation device, which is constituted for example by stretchable bands.

[0007] The adjustment means used in said skate comprise an actuator, which is arranged outside said frame approximately below the toe unit and can be actuated directly by the user so as to arrange said toe unit selectively with respect to the frame.

[0008] In particular, the actuator has a first position, in which said toe unit can slide freely with respect to the frame, and a second position, in which the toe unit is locked with respect to the frame.

[0009] The main drawback of this known type of skate consists of the fact that the toe unit and the heel unit, in order to perform a suitable containment of the foot, must have raised lateral edges that partially overlap each other according to a telescopic configuration.

[0010] Another drawback of the cited known type of skate relates to the fact that said telescopic arrangement of the toe unit and the heel unit requires precision manufacturing, with low tolerances, so as to avoid the possibility of jamming or the presence of excessive clearances.

[0011] Another drawback is the fact that the presence of a toe unit and of a heel unit that have a large surface causes low comfort and reduced breathability for the foot, since these components are usually made of rigid and non-breathable materials.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,140 is also known which discloses a device that is adapted to adjust the length of a skate and is arranged below the frame.

[0013] Such known type of device is constituted by a lever that activates the movement of a pivot that is arranged at right angles and below the frame and is provided with a toothed tab that is adapted to interact with a complementarily shaped set of teeth formed below said frame.

[0014] The main drawback of such known type of adjustment device is the fact that its manual activation is particularly awkward and troublesome, since the user must act at a region that is located below the skate frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The aim of the present invention is therefore to solve the above noted problems, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited known art, and thus to provide a skate with adjustable size that is highly comfortable for the user, said adjustable size entailing low manufacturing costs.

[0016] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a skate that allows to perform mostly simple and rapid manufacturing operations that entail very low manufacturing costs.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a skate that has reduced weight and dimensions, said structure allowing good breathability and at the same time optimum containment of the foot and effective transmission of forces to the ground.

[0018] Another object of the invention is to provide a skate whose size can be modified always rapidly and effectively, without the possibility of causing jamming or other adjustment defects.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide a skate that is sturdy and aesthetically pleasant.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a skate that is structurally simple and has low manufacturing costs.

[0021] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an adjustment device, particularly for adjusting the length of a skate, said skate comprising:

[0022] a frame provided with first means for connection to two or more wheels;

[0023] a shell, which is associated with said frame in order to accommodate at least the heel of the user;

[0024] a toe unit, which is slidingly associated with said shell and/or said frame in order to accommodate the tip of the user's foot;

[0025] characterized in that it comprises slider means that can be actuated by the user, are associated substantially transversely to said toe unit in contrast with elastic means, and interact selectively with said frame and/or shell.

[0026] Advantageously, in said adjustment device said slider means comprise second engagement means, which are adapted to act selectively with one or more abutment elements, which are associated with said frame and/or said shell.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of a particular embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0028]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of some components of a skate, such as a frame associated with a shell, a cuff, a toe unit and a slider;

[0029]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a detail of FIG. 1, taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

[0030]FIG. 3 is a partial bottom perspective view of the skate with which the toe unit is associable;

[0031]FIGS. 4 and 5 are two separate top perspective views of the toe unit, with which a slider is associable so that it can slide transversely;

[0032]FIGS. 6 and 7 are two separate partially sectional views, taken along a longitudinal plane, of the frame associated with the toe unit, with the slider respectively in the temporary locking position and in the release position;

[0033]FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the invention, taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 6;

[0034]FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the invention, taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 7;

[0035]FIGS. 10 and 11 are two separate top perspective views of the toe unit associated with the frame, with the slider shown respectively in the temporary locking position and in the release position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] In the examples of embodiment that follow, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other examples of embodiments.

[0037] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a skate, which is shown partially and comprises a frame 2.

[0038] In the described embodiment, the frame 2 has a transverse cross-section that is preferably shaped like an inverted letter U and is therefore provided with a first flat base 3, at the ends of which two first wings, generally designated by the reference numeral 4, protrude downward and approximately at right angles.

[0039] The frame 2 is provided with first means for connection to one or more in-line wheels, not shown, which are preferably constituted by one or more pairs of through holes, which are designated by the reference numeral 5 and are formed at matching regions of the first wings 4, and by seats for pivots for the pivoting of said wheels.

[0040] Said holes 5 are provided proximate to the lower edge of each wing 4 so as to be arranged in succession with respect to each other at a preset distance from each other.

[0041] A shell 6 is associated with the frame 2 in an upward region and affects, or extends over a portion of the base 3 that corresponds to the region of the foot that goes from the heel to approximately the plantar arch.

[0042] More particularly, the shell 6 is constituted by a first flat and horizontal plate 7, which is associated or rigidly coupled above the base 3.

[0043] The first plate 7 is provided, laterally and at the rear, with a first raised edge 8 for wrapping around the heel of the foot.

[0044] A cuff 9 for wrapping around the lower part of the leg of the user is associated in an upward region with said first raised edge 8 so that it can rotate about a pivoting axis that is substantially transverse to the base 3.

[0045] One or more fastening levers 13 for a soft innerboot, not shown, are associable with the cuff and with the shell.

[0046] At the first upper surface, designated by the reference numeral 10, of the first plate 7 there is a first slot 11 that is provided longitudinally starting from the front edge of said plate and has a substantially C-shaped profile in a transverse cross-section.

[0047] The front end of the first slot 11 is partially closed transversely because two first tabs, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, are associated or rigidly coupled thereto.

[0048] At the front of the frame 2 it is possible to associate slidingly a toe unit, designated by the reference numeral 14, which comprises a second flat base 15 that is provided laterally and at the front with a second raised edge 16 for partially wrapping around the tip of the foot.

[0049] The second base 15 can rest at least partially at the first front region, designated by the reference numeral 17, of the base 3, which is not affected by the shell 6.

[0050] The reference numeral 18 designates the tips of the second raised edge 16 that protrude to the rear of the second base 15.

[0051] A second flat tab 20 protrudes at right angles to the third rear edge, designated by the reference numeral 19, of the second base 15, approximately at a central axis; said tab has an approximately T-shaped plan shape and lies on the same plane as the second base 15.

[0052] The second tab 20 is therefore provided with a stem 21, which is connected at one end at right angles to the third rear edge 19 of the second base 15 and is provided, at the opposite end, with a head 22 that is approximately as wide as the first slot 11 of the first plate 7 of the shell 6.

[0053] It is therefore possible to insert the second tab 20 in the first slot 11 by way of a downward movement.

[0054] Said first slot therefore allows the sliding engagement of the second tab 20 until said tab abuts against the first tabs 12, so as to prevent the axial extraction of said second tab 20 from said first slot 11.

[0055] Abutment elements protrude upward and at right angles to the first front region 17 and from the base 3 of the frame 2 and are preferably constituted by a plurality of first toothed profiles 23 and by a plurality of second toothed profiles 24, each of which is arranged along a same longitudinal axis and is parallel to the others.

[0056] The first toothed profiles 23 are therefore constituted by a plurality of first teeth, each designated by the reference numeral 25 a, which are arranged mutually in succession at a preset distance from each other.

[0057] Likewise, the second toothed profiles 24 are constituted by a plurality of second teeth, each designated by the reference numeral 25 b, which are identical to the first teeth 25 a, so as to allow the alignment, along an axis that is transverse to the first base 3, of each first tooth 25 a with a corresponding second tooth 25 b.

[0058] A gap, designated by the reference numeral 50, is formed between each one of said first teeth 25 a and between each one of said second teeth 25 b.

[0059] The first teeth 25 a and the second teeth 25 b also have, in a cross-section taken transversely to the base 3, a shape that is approximately like an inverted letter L, and are therefore provided with a first wing 26, which at one end is connected at right angles to the base 3 and at the opposite end is connected to a first protrusion 27, which protrudes laterally thereto and is directed toward the outer edges of the base 3.

[0060] A second slot 29 and a third slot 30 are formed longitudinally at the second lower surface, designated by the reference numeral 28, of the second base 15 of the toe unit 14; said slots are parallel to each other at a distance equal to the distance between the first toothed profiles 23 and the second toothed profiles 24, so as to slidingly accommodate them.

[0061] Said second slot 29 and said third slot 30 have, in a transverse cross-section, a shape that is advantageously complementary to the shape of the first teeth 25 a and of the second teeth 25 b, so as to allow, by way of a front insertion of the toe unit 14, to slidingly position said first and second teeth at said second and third slots, respectively.

[0062] The toe unit 14 is therefore allowed to slide substantially longitudinally with respect to the base 3; furthermore, if said toe unit 14 is pulled upward, the interaction of the first protrusions 27 with the respective surfaces of said second slot 29 and said third slot 30 prevents any vertical extraction of said toe unit 14 with respect to the first base 3.

[0063] A fourth slot 31 and a fifth slot 32 are also formed transversely to the second lower surface 28 of the second base 15, preferably at a region that is adjacent to the second tab 20, affect or extend over the entire width of said second lower surface 28 and are arranged at right angles to said second slot 29 and said third slot 30, so as to intersect them.

[0064] Said fourth slot 31 and said fifth slot 32 are deeper than said second slot 29 and said third slot 30 and are arranged at a mutual distance that is equivalent to the center distance between said first and second teeth.

[0065] The fourth slot 31 and the fifth slot 32 are also at least as wide as the gap 50 between two first consecutive teeth 25 a and therefore between two consecutive second teeth 25 b.

[0066] A recess or hollow 33 is formed on one side of the second raised edge 16 of the toe unit 14, starting from the second lower surface 28, and is connected to the fourth and fifth slots 31 and 32 at a wall 34 formed in a downward region by said recess or hollow 33 at right angles to said second lower surface 28.

[0067] Once the arrangement of the first toothed profiles 23 and of the second toothed profiles 24 has been determined, at the respective second slot 29 and third slot 30 of the toe unit 14 the longitudinal sliding of said toe unit with respect to the first base 3 can be set in a selected arrangement and locked temporarily by using an adjustment device, which preferably comprises a slider means designated by the reference numeral 35.

[0068] Said slider means comprises a cheek 36, whose plan shape is approximately complementary to the shape of the recess or hollow 33 and from which a first arm 37 a and a second arm 37 b protrude, said arms being arranged parallel to each other at a mutual distance equal to the distance between the fourth slot 31 and the fifth slot 32.

[0069] The first arm 37 a and the second arm 37 b are each shaped approximately like a face-down letter F and have a maximum height and an overall length and width that are approximately equal to, or at the most slightly smaller than, the corresponding dimensions of said fourth slot 31 and said fifth slot 32.

[0070] The first arm 37 a and the second arm 37 b are therefore each constituted by a straight bar 38, whose height is slightly less than the gap 50 between the upper ends of the first and second teeth 25 a, 25 b and the lower surface 28 of the second base 15; second engagement means protrude below the straight bar 38 and at right angles thereto and are preferably constituted by a third tooth 39 a and a fourth tooth 39 b, which are adapted to be arranged temporarily in the gap 50 between said first teeth 25 a and between second teeth 25 b.

[0071] More particularly, the third tooth 39 a and the fourth tooth 39 b are approximately as high as, or at the most slightly higher than, said first teeth 25 a and second teeth 25 b.

[0072] The third tooth 39 a is slightly shorter than the distance between the first toothed profiles 23 and the second toothed profiles 24, while the fourth tooth 39 b is approximately as long as said second teeth 25 b are wide.

[0073] Furthermore, the third tooth 39 a and the fourth tooth 39 b have such dimensions that they affect together either the gap 50, provided between two contiguous first teeth 25 a and two contiguous second teeth 25 b, or arrange themselves laterally thereto so as to allow the axial movement of the toe unit 14 with respect to the first base 3.

[0074] Once a chosen first tooth 25 a and the corresponding second tooth 25 b have been interposed between the fourth and fifth slots 31 and 32, it is then possible to push manually the cheek 36 of the slider 35 toward the hollow or recess 33 of the toe unit 14, so as to produce the gradual insertion of the first arm 37 a and of the second arm 37 b in the respective fourth slot 31 and fifth slot 32.

[0075] An elastically compressible element is arranged between the wall 34 of the recess or hollow 33 and the cheek 36 of the slider 35 and is preferably constituted by a spring 40, which pulls said slider 35 toward the outside of the toe unit 14 and of the first base 3 of the frame 2.

[0076] A depression 41 is formed transversely on the upper surface of the straight bar 38 of said first arm 37 a and said second arm 37 b at a region located above the third tooth 39 a, and has a chosen length that is approximately equal to the length of said third tooth 39 a or fourth tooth 39 b.

[0077] A second protrusion 42 protrudes in a downward region at right angles to the upper surface of said fourth slot 31 and said fifth slot 32, can be arranged at the depression 41, and abuts against the step-like surfaces formed at the ends of the depression 41 when the relative position of the slider 35 and of said fourth and fifth slots varies.

[0078] With reference to FIGS. 8 and 10, arranging the third tooth 39 a between two adjacent first teeth 25 a arranges the fourth tooth 39 b between two adjacent second teeth 25 b and arranges the second protrusion 42 in abutment against the step-like surface of the depression 41 that lies closest to the fourth tooth 39 b.

[0079] This accordingly prevents the extraction of the slider 35 of the toe unit 14 due to the traction applied by the spring 40, consequently keeping said slider 35 in the position for temporarily blocking the longitudinal sliding of the toe unit 14 with respect to the base 3 of the frame 2.

[0080] Vice versa, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 11, pushing manually on the cheek 36 so as to arrange it in contact with the recess or hollow 33 places the third tooth 39 a at the region of the first base 3 that is interposed between the first toothed profiles 23 and the second toothed profiles 24 and arranges the fourth tooth 39 b in the region of said first base 3 that is interposed between the second profiles 24 and the adjacent end of the respective fourth slot 31 and fifth slot 32, so as to allow the longitudinal sliding of the toe unit 14 with respect to the first base 3.

[0081] It has thus been found that the skate according to the present invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, an adjustment device having been provided which allows to vary easily and quickly the length of said skate thanks to the arrangement and lateral activation of the slider with respect to the toe unit.

[0082] The invention is of course susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0083] Thus, for example, it is possible to provide toothed profiles and slots that have different configurations and arrangements with respect to the one described.

[0084] One might also provide, for example, a slider that has a configuration that is different from the one described and has a different number of arms.

[0085] The materials used, as well as the dimensions that constitute the individual components of the invention, may of course be more pertinent according to requirements.

[0086] The various means for performing certain different functions need not certainly coexist only in the illustrated embodiment but can be present per se in many embodiments, including ones that are not illustrated.

[0087] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. TV2002A000135 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An adjustment device for adjusting the length of the in-line skate, the skate comprising: a frame provided with first connection means for connection to at least two wheels; a shell, which is associated with said frame in order to accommodate at least the heel of the user; a toe unit, which is slidingly associated with said shell and/or said frame in order to accommodate the tip of the user's foot; the adjustement device comprising slider means that are actuatable by a user and elastic means, said slider means being connectable substantially transversely to said toe unit in contrast with said elastic means, so as to interact selectively with said frame and/or shell.
 2. The adjustment device of claim 1, wherein said slider means comprises second engagement means, which are adapted to act selectively with at least one abutment element that is provided at said frame and/or said shell.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the shell of the skate comprises a first plate that is flat and substantially horizontal and is coupled to a first base in an upward region thereof, said first base being part of said frame and being also flat and substantially horizontal, said first plate being provided, laterally and rearwardly, with a first raised edge, and extending over a second rear region of said first base that corresponds to a region of a user foot that goes from the heel to approximately the plantar arch of the foot, the at least one abutment element protruding at right angles and in an upward region with respect to said first base at a first front region thereof free from said first plate of said shell.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein a first slot is formed longitudinally at the first upper surface of said first plate of said shell, starting from the front edge of said first plate, said first slot having a substantially C-shaped transverse sectional profile, with a front end being closed partially and transversely by two first tabs that are coupled thereat.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein said toe unit has a second flat base that is provided laterally and at a front part thereof with a second raised edge, said flat base being adapted to rest at least partially with sliding engagement at said first front region of said first base of said frame.
 6. The device of claim 5, wherein a second flat tab protrudes substantially horizontally to the rear of said second base of said shell, at a central axis thereof, said tab having a substantially T-shaped plan shape and comprising a stem at one end of which a head protrudes at right angles, said head being substantially as wide as said first slot, so as to allow insertion, by way of a downward movement, of said second tab in said first slot.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein said first slot of said first plate allows sliding engagement of said second tab until the tab abuts against said first tabs, so as to prevent axial extraction of said second tab from said first slot.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein said at least one abutment element, which protrudes in an upward region and at right angles to said first front region of said first base, is constituted by a plurality of first toothed profiles and by a plurality of second toothed profiles, each of which is arranged along a same longitudinal axis thereof and parallel to each other.
 9. The device of claim 8, comprising a second slot and a third slot that are formed longitudinally at the second lower surface of said second base of said toe unit and are arranged parallel to each other at a distance equal to a distance between said first toothed profiles and said second toothed profiles, so as to slidingly accommodate both said toothed profiles.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein said second and third slots have a transverse sectional shape that is advantageously complementary to a shape of said first and second toothed profiles, so as to allow, by way of a front insertion of said toe unit, sliding arrangement of said first and second toothed profiles respectively at said second and third slots.
 11. The device of claim 10, comprising a fourth slot and a fifth slot that are formed transversely to said second lower surface of said second base of said toe unit, at a region that is adjacent to said second tab, said fourth and fifth slots extending over an entire width of said second lower surface and being arranged at right angles to, and so as to intersect said second and third slots.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein said slider means comprise a cheek that has a plan shape complementary to a shape of a recess or hollow of said second raised edge and a first arm and a second arm protruding from said cheek, said arms being parallel to each other at a mutual distance equal to a distance between said fourth and fifth slots.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein said first and second arms are each shaped like a face-down letter F and have a maximum height, an overall length and a width that are equal to, or at the most slightly smaller than, corresponding dimensions of said fourth and fifth slots.
 14. The device of claim 13, wherein each one of said first and second arms comprises a straight bar having a height that is slightly less than a gap between upper ends of first and second teeth of said toothed profiles and said second lower surface of said second base.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein said second engagement means protrude in a downward region of and at right angles to said straight bar and are constituted by a third tooth and a fourth tooth, which are adapted to be arranged temporarily in said gap between two consecutive said first teeth and between two consecutive second teeth of said first and second toothed profiles, respectively.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein said elastically deformable means comprises a spring that is arranged between a wall of said recess or hollow and said cheek of said slider, so as to pull said slider toward an outside region of said first base and said toe unit.
 17. The device of claim 15, comprising a depression formed transversely on an upper surface of said straight bar of said first and second arms at a region that lies above said third tooth, said depression having a selected length that is equal to the length of said third tooth or of said fourth tooth.
 18. The device according to claim 17, comprising a second protrusion that protrudes in a downward region of said second flat base and at right angles to the upper surface of said fourth and fifth slots and is arrangeable at said depression.
 19. The device of claim 18, wherein said second protrusion is placed in abutment against step-like surfaces formed at ends of said depression when a mutual position of said slider and said fourth and fifth slots varies. 